The semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) industry has experienced rapid growth. Technological advances in IC materials and design have produced generations of ICs. Each generation has smaller and more complex circuits than the previous generation. However, as the semiconductor industry has progressed into nanometer technology process nodes in pursuit of higher device density, higher performance, and lower costs, challenges from both fabrication and design issues have resulted in the development of three-dimensional designs, such as the fin field effect transistor (FinFET).
Although advantages of the FinFET may include reducing the short channel effect and raising the current flow, fabrication processes continue to become more difficult to perform since feature sizes continue to decrease. For example, there is a challenge to form reliable via structures for the FinFET at smaller and smaller sizes.